(Washington) entangled in the Epstein case, the US government sent a senior official on Thursday to question the ex-partner and accomplice of the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, in the prison where she is incarcerated in Florida.
Donald Trump, who has always promised to lift the veil on the rich financier and his alleged network of sexual exploitation, is assaulted with criticism, including in his own camp, for his refusal to reveal new documents on the case.
The number two of the Department of Justice and former personal lawyer for Donald Trump, Todd Blanche, arrived in this tense context in the capital of Florida, Tallahassee, to meet Ghislaine Maxwell, the American media said.
Questioned by AFP, the Department of Justice did not confirm the interview.
The former partner and collaborator of Jeffrey Epstein was sentenced in 2022 to 20 years in prison for sexual traffic, accused of having recruited young minor girls between 1994 and 2004 so that Epstein sexually exploited them.
Her lawyer assured that she “will always testify sincerely”.
But many doubts it. The old prosecutor Joyce Vance estimated on X that any “new” testimony of (Ghislaine) Maxwell “would be” in itself very unreliable if it was not supported by evidence “.
The Epstein affair took an explosive political turn in early July.
The American government assured that there was no evidence of the existence of a secret list of customers of Jeffrey Epstein, a very influential financial, charged for sexual trafficking in minors in 2019. He was found dead in his cell a few weeks later, before his trial.
Skilful letter
This announcement sparked a wave of anger with certain supporters of Donald Trump.
The latter have been asking for the publication of documents supposedly hidden by the government for years, which would contain revelations on leading personalities involved in the case.
“If Ghislaine Maxwell has information on anyone who has committed crimes or crimes on victims, the FBI and the Department of Justice will listen to what she has to say,” Todd Blanche said on Tuesday.
The American president was for years close to the rich financier, evolving in the same circles as him.
THE Wall Street Journal reported a health letter awarded to Donald Trump for Jeffrey Esptein for the 50th anniversary of the latter, in 2003.
According to the American daily, it has a text surrounded by a sketch of a naked woman, and her signature evokes a pubic fleece. “Happy birthday-and that every day is another wonderful secret,” it is written in particular according to the newspaper.
The American president was also informed by his general prosecutor, Pam Bondi, that his name appeared in the court documents of the case, according to several American media.
Asked about it, the president had assured last week “no, no, she just gave us a quick point on the situation”.
Anticipated holidays
The government is working to suffocate the fire.
He tries to divert attention by targeting former President Barack Obama, accused by the White House of having orchestrated the accusations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, won by Donald Trump.
An attack on the former Democratic President (2009-2017) which shows how the Epstein affair-behind a flood of conspiracy theories-embarrasses the executive and divides the American right.
The House of Representatives was paralyzed this week by the attempt of an elected Republican elected official, supported by the Democrats, to force a vote on a resolution calling for the publication of court documents on the fallen financier.
But the republican leader of the lower house, Mike Johnson, made sure to block this vote, saying that a publication of these documents would endanger the victims of the crimes charged to Jeffrey Epstein.
Faced with this paralysis, Republican officials decided to send elected officials on vacation on Wednesday for the whole month of August, one day earlier than expected.
